Riley counting on Shaq to stay in shape this season
"I was pulled aside and told it was an emergency, and I had to go see Coach"
Heat Coach Pat Riley made it clear Saturday that the conditioning of aging C Shaquille O'Neal likely will be key to whether the Heat can rebound from a slow start and have a successful season.
'The whole thing is keeping him fit. We have this incredible maintenance program for him,' Riley said. 'We have 75 physical therapists that do this pu-chi, kum-chi, I-chi , tongue-chi, whatever it takes to try and keep him limber at age 35. His body has been beaten up pretty good.
'Getting him on the court and starting every night is a major goal for us, and to make sure we have him and Dwyane [Wade] at 100 percent for the playoffs. If we do, I don't care where we are.' Read more